


Override Failed

by TheAsexualofSpades



Series: Quarantine Drabbles [40]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Body Horror, Connor is a Mess (Detroit: Become Human), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, No Character Death, Suicidal Thoughts, it's okay he has help, kinda??? not really??? imma tag it just to be sage, no one dies I promise, sumo is best boi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:27:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23986042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAsexualofSpades/pseuds/TheAsexualofSpades
Summary: Connor has a mission to complete. He must find the deviants to destroy them. In order to make sure this happens, Cyberlife equipped his program with a few little subroutines to ensure he stays on target.He has been assigned to complete this mission with Lieutenant Anderson. Therefore he must go see the lieutenant before he finishes.What will the override have to say about what he finds?
Relationships: Hank Anderson & Connor, Hank Anderson & Connor & Sumo
Series: Quarantine Drabbles [40]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1677655
Comments: 7
Kudos: 190





	Override Failed

**Author's Note:**

> sorry i felt like hoppin on the angst train today
> 
> so i was gonna go the route you've seen where connor realizes how much he cares about hank and goes deviant and tells hank how much he means to him and all that sapp stuff and then connor went 'bitch?????you gave me all of these feelings and expected me to deal with them and be articulate????you've had them your whole life and you can't do that tf makes you think i can'
> 
> okay damn you didn't have to call me out like that but fine
> 
> so here we are

Fandom: DBH

Prompt: “Because I care about you!”

* * *

Something is wrong.

Connor walks to Lieutenant Anderson’s door. There is a light on inside. Sumo barks.

**Current Objective: [ ] Talk to Lieutenant Anderson**

**[ ] Ask about deviants**

****[ **] Ask about Lieutenant Anderson**

The door handle gives way under Connor’s hand. He pushes the notification of ‘Lieutenant Anderson didn’t lock his door’ to the back of his HUD.

The house is different.

**Scanning…**

None of the layout has changed, the walls have not been painted, nothing new has been added. Connor’s LED cycles yellow once before going back to blue.

**Software Instability at 32%**

**Stress Levels 21%**

Connor approaches the table, lone ceiling light illuminating a man, hunched over a bottle of whiskey, a photograph, and a gun. The man doesn’t stir when he stops.

**Scanning…**

**Error: Scan Interrupted. Please try again.**

**Scanning…**

**Error: Scan Interrupted. Please try again.**

**_Scanning…_**

**Error: Software Malfunction. Please report to Cyberlife.**

Connor’s LED cycles yellow once, twice, then back to blue. That’s alright. He doesn’t need a scan to know the Lieutenant is unwell.

“You just gonna stand there all creepy,” comes the voice, “or d’you want something.”

Connor checks back with his audio logs. That…that _can’t_ be the Lieutenant speaking, can it?

**Software Instability at 41%**

**Stress Levels 36%**

“I came to see if you were alright, Lieutenant,” Connor explains, “I was worried about you.”

Lieutenant Anderson huffs, not bothering to meet Connor’s gaze.

“I wanted to tell you that I found something,” Connor tries instead, “about the deviants.”

No response.

The Lieutenant’s eyes never stray far from the photograph lying on the table.

“You should stop looking at that photo, Lieutenant.”

**Current Objective: [X] Talk to Lieutenant Anderson**

**New Objective: [ ] Find the deviants**

Connor blinks. He didn’t complete the last objective, not properly. He spoke _at_ Lieutenant Anderson, not with him. That’s not what he wanted.

“You know—“ Connor’s focus snaps back to the Lieutenant, who finally looks up— “every time you died and came back, it made me think of Cole.”

**Software Instability at 62%**

**Stress Levels 55%**

**Current Objective: [ ] Find the deviants.**

“I’d give anything to hold him again…but humans don’t come back.”

Something is wrong.

**Scanning…**

**All components are fully operational. Proceed with the mission.**

Something is wrong. The objective flashes right in front of him, obscuring his view of Lieutenant Anderson, filling his HUD with red. Something hooks its tendrils into his jaw, opens it—

“I understand.”

**Current Objective: [ ] Find the deviants**

**_[ ~~] No, no, stay, let me stay~~_ **

“Now leave me alone,” Lieutenant Anderson says, a patient, hopeless sadness drawing the words from deep within. “Go, complete your mission, since that’s all you care about.”

**Software Instability at 72%**

**Stress Levels 80%**

Something is wrong. Something is terribly, terribly wrong.

Every android has a set of protocols that tell it what to do and when to do it. Connor follows his protocols and adapts to his surroundings.

Every android does not have an override.

Connor has an override. Whenever he makes a decision, he dedicates a part of his processor to vent the influx of irrational code. If he doesn’t, the override will kick in.

Amanda asked him to describe the override. He dutifully responded that it ensures he stays on mission, that he does not fail.

He did not explain the physical sensations it elicits. That is not part of his mission.

This, right now, is what it feels like.

The override sinks into his processor and worms its way through his biocomponents. It can pry open his jaw, wire it shut, force his limbs to obey silken strings of code, makes him _comply._

It locks the irrational instructions away into his processor and leaves them screaming.

He’s felt the override more during this case than any of his previous missions. As a result, each decision he makes, he has to devote more and more of his processor to the irrational instructions.

If he were human, he would classify it as fear.

He is an android.

The override settles in the cavity next to his thirium pump, making itself comfortable right next to the pulse. A reminder. Its tendrils do not loosen their grip on his jaw, adhering his tongue to the roof of his mouth. More tendrils rest lightly on his limbs, lying in wait. It’s giving him the chance to move before it _makes_ him more.

His current objective blinks persistently.

**Software Instability at 83%**

**Stress Levels 87%**

“Get outta here!”

The Lieutenant is angry. The override hums. The objective clouds his HUD. His jaw won’t move. His hands won’t let him reach out. His protocols tell him to _obey, finish the mission._

**Stress Levels 93%**

His processor floods with irrational instructions. He’s been shut in. The override is already here.

**Current Objective: [ ] Find the deviants**

**~~_[ ] No!_~~**

**_~~[ ] Stop! Let me go!~~_ **

**_~~[ ] Let me go! It hurts!~~_ **

**_~~[ ] Let me stay! I can’t—~~_ **

**_~~[ ] Hank!~~_ **

**Stress Levels 97%**

Red.

Everything is red.

There’s too much code, there are so many instructions, there’s so much _noise—_

He can fix it. He can get out, he just has to break through the override before it makes him move: make the pain crash in waves, beating against the shore, flood the system, _overwhelm_ it. Let the iron fists close around the lungs, squeeze the chest, choke the heart, reach in and knot the intestines, mangle everything beyond repair.

Static clouds his vision, feedback buzzing in his ears.

A wall.

**Current Objective: [ ] Find the deviants**

**~~_[X] Fight_~~**

**_~~[X] Leave me alone!~~_ **

**_~~[X] Get out of my head.~~_ **

The buzz retreats and the static won’t come back, there’s no one to catch him at the bottom of this yawning maw, just down, down…down…

“Connor? Connor!”

Connor gasps.

“What the hell just happened?”

Connor’s still trying to figure that out for himself, thanks.

He blinks. The red is gone, there’s nothing blaring in his HUD. Everything is quiet.

“H-Hank?”

“Yeah, Connor,” Hank says, still half holding Connor where he—apparently—collapsed on the floor, “it’s me. You wanna tell me what happened?”

Connor blinks again. He can’t see properly, his pupil refraction must be off. Everything swims, Hank’s face blurring in strange ways. Then Hank lifts a hand to his cheek and it comes away damp.

“W-what’s—“ something tightens on his chest and _no, he beat the override, he did it, what’s—_ “what’s happening to me?”

Hank’s concerned face melts into something softer. “Well, you’re crying, Connor.”

“I—I can’t breathe properly, and my—my vocal processor is—isn’t working right, I can’t—I _can’t—_ “

“Shh,” Hank cuts him off, “that’s what crying feels like, son. Let it out, Connor, go on.”

Connor lets his limbs go limp, his chest shuddering. Distantly, he worries that he’s making Hank’s floor all wet and tries to move but a warm pair of arms sits him up, leaning him against a warm chest.

“You’re alright, son,” the chest rumbles, “you just cry and you’ll be alright.”

Connor cries.

“Sumo,” he hears Hank mutter, “not now, boy. Kid ain’t doing so good.”

The _click click click_ of Sumo’s nails signal the dog isn’t too keen on listening either. Then there’s a warm tongue on his face and Connor realizes what’s happening.

He broke through his programming.

The abrupt destruction of the override made him collapse.

The irrational instr— _feelings,_ he finally realizes, are flooding his system.

Hank is holding him.

And Sumo is trying to lick his tears away.

A wounded noise escapes Connor’s throat and he bundles himself around Hank, immersing his sense in warm, safe, _alive_ Hank.

“Easy, Connor,” Hank chides without any real heat, “you’re gonna knock us both over.”

“I’m sorry,” Connor gasps, “I’m sorry for—for—“

“Hey, you just stop that,” Hank murmurs, “you ain’t gotta apologize for anythin’ right now. You just sit here and feel, you understand?”

Connor understands.

Sumo whines until he gets his head tucked between the two of them, still trying to comfort Connor. When Connor’s sure Hank’s not about to disappear, he leans back, letting Sumo have free rein to do whatever he wants.

“You’re LED’s bright red,” Hank prods gently, “what’s going on?”

Connor winds his fingers through Sumo’s fur. “I’m…I’m deviant.”

“Figured that much. Androids don’t usually collapse and start crying.”

Connor looks at Hank. How…how, in the span of a few moments, has Hank gone from the depressed Lieutenant at that table, to this?

Hank shrugs. “I had something to take care of. Couldn’t just sit there feelin’ sorry for myself while you were over here finally comin’ alive.”

That’s what just happened. Connor tests it out, feeling the words take shape in his mouth.

“I’m…I’m alive.”

“Yeah,” Hank murmurs, “you’re alive, Con.”

Connor smiles. “I’m alive. Thank you, Hank.”

“You don’t gotta thank me,” Hank starts, but Connor cuts him off.

“No, no Hank, you’re the reason my software got unstable enough to deviate, you— _you_ did it, Hank.”

“Alright, ease up there,” Hank says, waving a hand, “you’re welcome. But uh…I gotta thank you too.”

Connor shuffles closer.

“This—“ Hank gestures around them on the floor— “is kind of a big example of it, but uh, you gave me something to care about again. Because I care about you.”

Connor knows what he means. Sumo _boofs_ enthusiastically as he pulls them both into another hug. The house feels right again. It feels _alive._

“I…I don’t know what to do next,” Connor confesses, finally realizing the immensity of what just happened.

“Welcome to the club,” Hank snorts. He wraps an arm securely around Connor’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.”

“You won’t leave?” Connor asks hesitantly, still very aware of what he quite possibly interrupted by coming here tonight.

Hank pulls him back into a tight hug. “I’m not goin’ anywhere, Connor.”

This feeling, this warmth spreading through his body, burns away the last vestiges of the override’s freezing touch.

He’s free.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Come yell at me on tumblr while we're all in quarantine
> 
> https://a-small-batch-of-dragons.tumblr.com/


End file.
